Editor’s note: Today’s Kaulig Racing preview begins NASCAR.com’s countdown of team previews for the 2026 Cup Series season.
KAULIG RACING
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
Engine: ECR Engines
Driver-crew chief pairings: Ty Dillon-Andrew Dickeson (No. 10); AJ Allmendinger-Trent Owens (No. 16)
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Team outlook: A building year for Kaulig Racing in 2025 has led to measured optimism for the two-team outfit based in Welcome, North Carolina. Both Dillon and Allmendinger returned to full-time Cup Series racing after completing part-time schedules in 2024, with both delivering highlights for the organization as Allmendinger earned the team its first oval-track pole position and Dillon made a deep Cinderella run in the inaugural In-Season Challenge. Momentum from last year should carry the team into better futures ahead in 2026.
TY DILLON, NO. 10 CHEVROLET
Experience: 7 full-time seasons in NASCAR Cup Series; 281 starts
2025 stats: 33rd in final Cup Series standings; 0 wins, 0 top fives, 1 top 10, 0 poles, 19 laps led
Driver outlook: Ty Dillon returns to the No. 10 Chevrolet this season, marking the first time he’s had consecutive seasons with a team since a four-year tenure with Germain Racing and its No. 13 Chevrolet from 2017 through 2020. That stability offers Dillon and crew chief Andrew Dickeson time to expand on their 2025 learnings and build toward more consistent results in 2026. In all, the No. 10 car earned 13 top-20 finishes in 2025, leaving plenty of room for improvement in the new year.
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MORE: Ty Dillon driver page
AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 CHEVROLET
Experience: 10 full-time seasons in NASCAR Cup Series; 482 starts
2025 stats: 26th in final Cup Series standings; 0 wins, 2 top fives, 7 top 10s, 1 pole, 42 laps led
Driver outlook: In 2025, AJ Allmendinger reminded us why he should never be overlooked, earning his first pole position in 10 years by posting the fastest lap in September’s qualifying session at Bristol Motor Speedway and his first pole on an oval since April 2012 at Kansas Speedway. The veteran racer remains as strong a contender on road courses as ever but just as sneaky at intermediate ovals like Charlotte Motor Speedway, Darlington Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he scored finishes of fourth, fifth and seventh, respectively, last season. Another year with crew chief Trent Owens and an updated notebook should bode well for Allmendinger in 2026.
MORE: AJ Allmendinger driver page
Ty Dillon and AJ Allmendinger race at Daytona for Kaulig Racing.
